4 things we learned about Real Madrid in August

• Real Madrid have struggled for form so far this season
• Mbappe netted a brace in the much-needed win over Real Betis
• Ancelotti faces some tactical challenges

On the scoresheet / Mateo Villalba/GettyImages

After winning the UEFA Champions League and La Liga double last season and signing the best player in the world in the summer, 2024/25 was supposed to be pretty plain sailing for Real Madrid.

That hasn’t been the case thus far though.

Los Blancos have struggled for form heading into the September international break, and already sit a precarious four points adrift of early pacesetters Barcelona in the La Liga title race.

Here’s everything we’ve learned from Madrid’s start to the 2024/25 campaign.

1. Kylian Mbappe has the weight of the world on his shoulders…

The pressure is on / Florencia Tan Jun/GettyImages

If you’ve been in Spain on your holidays over the past few weeks, you’ll have probably walked past a kiosk filled to brim with newspapers that had Kylian Mbappe’s face emblazoned on them.Kylian Mbappe told he made ‘mistake of his life’ joining Real Madrid

Thanks to the sports dailies in Spain (AS, Sport, Mundo Deportivo), every single facet of Mbappe’s life as a Real Madrid player has been scrutinised by the press – especially after he failed to score in his first few La Liga games.

It’s a pressure that no other player in world football is having to deal with right now…

2. …But he’s good enough to cope

Superstar / Mateo Villalba/GettyImages

…But it’s a pressure that Mbappe is clearly capable of dealing with.Lewandowski explains the difference between Flick’s Barcelona and Xavi’s Barcelona

After a few La Liga games without a goal, the France superstar made his mark in the clash with Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The forward’s two goals – that earned a 2-0 win – were the perfect exemplification of what he can bring to Madrid this season.

3. Replacing Toni Kroos won’t be easy

Legendary figure / Angel Martinez/GettyImages

While all the talk has been about how Real Madrid’s new Mbappe-led attacking lineup will function heading into the 2024/25 season, the real tactical problem Carlo Ancelotti has faced is in midfield.Premier League star willing to take pay cut to join Arsenal on deadline day

That’s largely because of Toni Kroos’ absence.

The midfielder retired at the end of the 2023/24 season, and has left Madrid without a metronomic presence in the middle of the park.

Although Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, and Eduardo Camavinga are all fantastic players in their own right, none have the skillset that Kroos had and none have been able to dictate the tempo of Madrid’s early season games in the way he would’ve eitherBukayo Saka reveals feelings on Arsenal signing Raheem Sterling.

It’s a big problem, and one that doesn’t have an obvious fix.